29th

I’m On A Boat, Navy Version

August 2009

A while back Saturday Night Live showed a sketch called “I’m On A Boat”. Not to be outdone, some bored creative young officers recently produced their own version of the video: “Navy I’m On A Boat” [note: explicit language]

Have a good weekend.

Thanks: Byron.


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Posted by Christopher Albon in Navy

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  • Byron

    Chris, you might want to add the “rough language” warning on this one. Funny as hell, though. And who said JO’s are a dull and brainwashed lot.

    Just hope XO and CO rogered up first…

  • http://warandhealth.com/ Christopher Albon

    Thanks Byron, warning added. I couldn’t for the life of me embed the video in the post.

  • http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com CDRSalamander

    Hey! That’s my Sunday Funny tomorrow …. the blogger in me likes it …. the other side of the brain wonders

    (OldSchool) if a bunch of non-qual’s JG’s shouldn’t have better things to with with their underway time.

    (/OldSchool)

  • Byron

    CDR, from the exterior shots I saw, it looked like they were loafing around just offshore. The rest of it could have been done in-port.

  • Michael

    None of these guys will ever make flag. Funny, yes, but stupid to expose yourself. They’re dead meat in their next review. Conduct unbecoming. Hope they weren’t planning on making the USN their career.

  • Byron

    Michael, what’s to say that they aren’t really fine JOs? Maybe there’s a future Nimitz amongst them, who know? But to crush the crap out of 3 sharp looking JOs just because they did a YouTube skit? That’s the sign of a Navy that’s scared of being HUMAN.

  • Raymond III

    Seriously? Their careers would be jeopardized by a lip-synched YouTube video? “This officer is superb in every respect. However, in the past he has repeatedly insisted that he is “on a boat, motherf@*ker” and enjoined all present never to forget this fact. In addition, he once claimed to have “f@*cked a mermaid”…

    And we can only assume that none of the officers in VAW-116 have ever been promoted since the black eyed peas fiasco.

  • jim mc connell

    Ok so could this be some astroturfing by one of the non .mil sites that DOD has purportedly engaged to polish the USN image among younger folks. Having the helo in just the right place and the bow on aerial shot required a lot of coordination and consent from levels way above these guys paygrade I would think. Editing and continuity look almost professional.

    Anyway, it rocks

  • Derrick

    Well…if that youtube video was an US Navy sponsored video, I think their careers would be ok. I doubt those officers would do this on their own initiative, simply because I remember from basic training that as long as we wear the uniform, we represent our contry and must behave with the utmost professionalism and responsibility. We were told that we must show the high standard the military adheres to.

  • Chris

    Wow, some of the comments here seem to re-iterate the generally accepted fact that the Navy is seriously lacking in non-[edit by admin] (read: tools) at the 0-4 and up levels. Thanks to the few of you that seem to realize that our Sailors and Officers are not just supposed to be brainwashed automatons. To the others: get a life and treat your juniors like they’re people and not just a means to an end.

    If the Navy can’t maintain our “high” standards and also accept a bit of fun, then we’re going to lose even more awesome JO’s (read: SWO JO’s; because other warfare areas don’t generally have that problem) than we currently do.

  • swogo

    There might have been some coordination with a couple of HSL bubbas, but although I’m sure CO/XO were aware (would’ve been hard to ignore a JO on the bow pulling a ‘Titanic’ during flight quarters), I will GUARANTEE this was not cleared at any level. We’ve played (the censored version of) this song on breakaways before, and the crew LOVED it, so much so that they were dancing on the foc’sle.

    CDR, did notice that 1 of the 2 wasn’t qualified (looks like the third is an exchange?)…not sure it’s smart from a ‘dicking off JO’ move, but the video is still pretty funny.

    Most unsurprising moment – the lack of the ‘mermaid’. The presence of a (especially military) female for that part would’ve been enough to initiate a SAVI/CMEO investigation.

  • Byron

    From the comments section at CDR Salamanders place:

    “Everyone needs to lighten up. This is nowhere near as “egregious” as the CSG/CAG video a while back with implied fellatio that everyone went nuts over.

    It’s JOs having fun. And I’ll wager they’re the coolest damn JOs on that boat, and the crew DOES worship them.

    Now, before the comments get longer I want to clear something up: no punitive action will come down on the skipper or crew over the video. Why? DNS and VNCO have already seen it. We showed it to them.

    Cheers,
    a former CT whose roommates are the CNOs YN1 & DNS YN2
    FORAC”

    Glad to see a sense of humor is still alive in the Navy. After all, if you can’t laugh at yourself (or your organization), you’re a fairly miserable individual.

  • Phrogs Phorever

    Where is the block on the fitrep for YouTube contributions? I don’t remember reading a board precep that says “Any member with a youtube video shall receive special consideration in the crunch.”

    If we are seriously discussing the possibility that these young powerhouses should fear for their career I weep for the SWO community. We wonder why so many of the surface navy’s best and brightest depart for greener pastures? As I said in the comments over at ID, I would love to work with a couple of JO’s with this much creativity and energy. On other ships many of their peers are in their staterooms, bitching about the XO, and avoiding their divisions.

  • Spade

    I too join many of the commentators across the internet who are appalled at the language and behavior displayed in this video. I too cannot imagine a proper officer ever using language outside of, at the most, ‘darn’, ‘heck’, or at times of extreme stress maybe even ‘frick’. I am also concerned about how these officers are appearing to have ‘fun’ outside of an ordered mandatory fun period.

  • JOPA

    My opinion:
    I would have thought twice about going through with the whole deal myself. That said, the Navy’s appeal to young people (our target recruiting demographic) will probably only increase (a positive). On the other hand, the Navy isn’t going to support this at all–simply because it can’t (though I’d say most people are behind these guys).

    This video is like any of the other videos out there (i.e. USMC’s “Hadji Girl”). Though they are a bit edgy, the benefit they have on morale is substantial. In the information age, this stuff will ALWAYS get out into the public. This is not Abu Ghraib; it’s a few JOs dancing around lip-syncing an admittedly proane song, which ultimately glamorises not only SWO life, but Navy life in general. If anything, they represent the new Navy Hallmark that the Washington-influenced upper echelons have synonomized with the inherent good: “Diversity.”

  • UltimaRatioReg

    Spade,

    Well-done. Was halfway through until I caught the unmistakable scent of sarcasm.

    Though I did serve with a few Marine Officers who would have said the same thing about ‘darn’ and ‘heck’, and one would’ve gotten the evil eye for ‘frick’.

  • Brandon Friedman

    The video has been pulled from YouTube. Wonder who made that decision.

  • Cynic

    Dunno who pulled it. But it’d be nice to see a senior sailor step up to the plate and praise these three for their initiative. The video was clever, professionally executed, and extremely appealing to its target audience. Plenty of 0-5s and O-6s have been praised for recruiting initiatives unlikely to have a fraction of the positive impact of this single video produced by a handful of junior officers.

    Wouldn’t it be nice if – say – the CNO were to single them out for enterprise and initiative in an interview?

  • UltimaRatioReg

    Cynic,

    Not sure the CNO could do that with a video that has “mother******” all the way through it. But your point about an effective recruiting effort is right on the money.

    Also, a healthy sense of humor is required, and it is nice that it get some air time. Young men and women who might aspire to becoming a Naval Officer should know that not all of them are like Niedermeyer from Animal House.

  • Amber

    Wow, this video is hilarious! I suppose those of you who are amazed at the “language” in it don’t realize that they’re lipsyncing to a video originally made for MadTV? Also, I’m sure if they were worried about the possible punishment from this video, they wouldn’t have made it. As Jim said…a lot of these shots would have needed approval from much higher members of the Navy than these guys were. C’mon people…it’s a joke…laugh and stop worrying so much about what “could happen”

  • Haze Grey

    How about a higher standard for members of the Armed Forces! The JOs could have achieved a “win-win” with all generations (particularly senior navy leadership and their own generation) by simply replacing vulgarity with humorous spoofs or simply censor. An “A” for creativity, but is it worth tainting the sterling image of those wearing the uniform that defend America and sacrifice so much?

  • 6470

    I agree that the video is a hoot. Yet many are concerned about the “conduct unbecoming” issue. However, the biggest concern is not the language, but the perceived costs of putting the whirlybird up and in place. Remember the Air Force One fiasco but a few months ago and the public outcry when the costs of the special mission were made public? AIRPAC/LANT are regularly turning down non-essential photo missions.

  • Ulyanova

    This Video is funny as hell! I wish the officers on my boat were this cool! It brings me joy everytime I watch it. Underways & deployments get better with lively ppl like them.

  • Patrick McWilliams

    I have a serious problem with it. First off, where was the Captain and the XO of the John Paul Jones when this was going on? Obviously, there are serious issues on that ship. I saw one SWO qualified JO. Where does it say in your oath of office you have to be cool? This is nothing more than a bunch of snot nosed kids running amuck because they don’t like the surface navy. This is disrespectful to our naval heritage. I am sure this will be all over Navy Times. I think it is a disgrace.

  • Helo Bubba

    I couldn’t stop laughing.

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